Release:

On April 11, 2020, at approximately 10:53 pm., officers and Emergency Medical Services Personnel responded to a residence in the 2400 block of Bemiss Road, for a 911 call about a subject who had been shot.

Upon arrival, officers found a 35-year-old male victim deceased on scene, with apparent gunshot wounds to his body.

Detectives with the Valdosta Police Department and Crime Scene Personnel responded to the scene to investigate the incident, which is being treated as a homicide.

Detectives have identified a person of interest in this case, and the case is an isolated incident.

UPDATE:

Through a thorough investigation, which included numerous interviews and the processing of evidence from the scene, detectives determined that Tonya Alexander and Sherrod Leonard were at a party at a residence in
the 2400 block of Bemiss Road when they got involved in an altercation.

During the altercation, Alexander retrieved a handgun and shot Leonard.
Alexander was taken into custody immediately on the scene by the responding officers, and was later transported to Lowndes County Jail on the following charges:

• Felony murder;
• Aggravated assault; and
• Possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

“I am proud of the quick response of our officers who were able to get the offender into custody quickly, along with the thorough investigative work of our detectives. The assistance that we received from the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office and the Georgia State Patrol with crowd control, is a great example of teamwork between the agencies.” Chief Leslie Manahan